GameStick popularity means delayed shipments

Shipments for the GameStick have been delayed by about two months. Originally expected to ship around the end of April, the unexpected popularity of the pocket-sized Android-based gaming console have forced PlayJam, the creators of GameStick, to delay the release.

"When we started this project we were unsure how successful it would be," PlayJam wrote in the latest update. PlayJam had originally set a goal of $100,000 for GameStick development, but now has over six times that amount pledged.

"Our expectation was that we would do an initial run of a few thousand units and then go from there. What happened next was a whirlwind. We’ve now got 27 retailers around the world engaged and placing orders for our micro-console. We have GameStop in the US and Game in the UK as our lead retail partners, but with over 5,000 stores between them we are in a remarkable position to scale this project."

PlayJam had originally planned on demand for around 1,000 units, but high demand for the GameStick have forced the company to switch to a new production method.

"Initially, we planned on demand for around 1,000 units so we were going to use silicon molds, which is what we have used for the GameStick DEV units. These don’t take much time to make, but they also cannot cope with the high volume production that we now need," PlayJam explained. "As a result we have had to move to much higher end tooling which is being made in both China and Germany. To create these tools takes around 3 months and is a huge investment for us – one we can only afford to make once."

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